This sounds like the most plausible explanation to me:
Clinton’s calculation is as much about history as it is about politics. As the first woman to have come this far, Clinton has told those close to her, she wants people who invested their hopes in her to see that she has given it her best.
At this point, with only five states (& Puerto Rico) to go, she may as well ride it out to the finish. I can understand that she truly appreciates her die-hard supporters and doesn’t want to seem like a quitter. I really don’t like some of the tactics her campaign has been using for the past few months, but I don’t fault her for staying in the race.
It’s all about the money. Once she drops out, her campaign cash flow will hit zero, and she’ll have trouble getting those personal loans paid back. She’s probably hoping to bring in more than she spends from here to the convention.
If Obama agreed to pay off her campaign debts, she’d drop out tomorrow.
Yeah, I’m not sure if she’d drop out tomorrow in that case, but I agree that the money is a huge factor. So I suppose I’m disagreeing with myself. (My, aren’t you persuasive? What are you, a lawyer?)
I think I agree with Josh Marshall on this: the idea of Obama bailing out Clinton with money that has largely come from small donors (myself included) doesn’t really sit right with me. Especially since I think the Clintons definitely have the ability to raise the money themselves to pay off their debts. Sure, it would take longer, but it’s not like they don’t have that capability. Not that I’m a Clinton-hater or anything, but I didn’t give my money to her, I gave it to Obama.